How to Take Care of Asparagus Plants

Asparagus plants are relatively easy to grow in the garden. Asparagus is a perennial, and a bed will produce the edible asparagus spears for up to 30 years, if properly maintained. During harvest season, a well-tended bed will reward you with tender, edible, asparagus shoots. The difference between a good and a scant harvest is the result of feeding, mulching and cutting the asparagus. The plants are susceptible to insects and frost, but these can be managed with a little effort.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fertilizer
• Pruning shears
• Straw or mulch
• Manure

1. Feed the asparagus plants with a balanced fertilizer. During the first three years of growth, the plants should be fertilized in the spring. Starting with the fourth year of growth, fertilize the asparagus plants after they have been harvested, in June or July.

2. Pull the weeds out of the garden regularly. Asparagus plants have a shallow root system, and the weeds will compete for nutrients. Weeding should be done by hand, before they become established, so the asparagus' roots are not damaged.

3. Cut back all top growth of the asparagus plant after the last harvest. Cover the entire bed with 3 inches of straw or mulch. Water the straw or mulch and leave the asparagus to grow until the first freeze.

4. Cut off the fern tops at ground level after the first freeze of the year. Spread a layer of manure over the asparagus beds and leave them until spring. Leaves or peat moss should not be used as compost. They will settle and become dense, preventing water from reaching the asparagus.

5. In warmer climates, where an asparagus fern does not freeze, cut off the fern tops in November.

6. Remove any asparagus beetles by hand. Because asparagus is an edible crop, pesticides should not be used.

References

• Easy Gardening...Asparagus
• Asparagus officinalis
• Asparagus